


Resolution

by acuteneurosis



Series: Skip Beat Holidays 2011 [2]
Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Bad Puns, Best Friends, Cake Fixes Things, F/M, Family Bonding, New Year's Eve, Not This Family, Reconciliation, So Does an Apology, Traditions, Who Cares About Time Zones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-31
Updated: 2011-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 15:59:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17247152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acuteneurosis/pseuds/acuteneurosis
Summary: Sequel to "Fairy Merry Christmas": A new year is dawning. It's a time for old fights to end and new joys to be celebrated. It's a time for family and for soothing broken hearts. And, in the spirit of the president of LME, it's a time for love.





	Resolution

**Author's Note:**

> Wrapping things up for the start of a new adventure.

Three. The number of significant, best-friend silent treatment fights that Kanae had gotten into with Kyoko in as many months. Which made it three more fights of significant nature than Kyoko had ever gotten into with her new boyfriend. Kanae could not decide if she should be proud or ashamed.

"Mo, I thought you had a date," she grumbled when she opened the door of her isolated living space to find Kyoko at the door, holding out a small package and bowing.

"We cancelled. He said I should talk to you," Kyoko mumbled to the ground. Kanae's eyebrows shot up.

"He did?"

"Yes. He says that he doesn't think I'm happy and I should take care of things with my best friend."

"I thought life partners were supposed to have the position of 'best friend,'" Kanae snapped, rubbing her brow and scowling. Kyoko looked up, confused.

"Ren and I are dating, but that doesn't mean you aren't my best friend anymore," she said in confusion. "Who else would there be?"

"You don't think of him as your friend?" Kanae demanded, now confused herself.

"Well, I've thought of Ren as my friend for a long time, but Moko-san will always be my best friend. How would I survive without you?"

"Come in," Kanae said, catching sight of her family eavesdropping around various corners of the house. "I'm not angry anymore, so stop groveling."

Kyoko smiled and skipped into the room, handing over her apology gift of cakes, very much like the ones that Kanae had bought for Kyoko's birthday, only homemade and, as Kyoko pointed out carefully, perfected to balance taste and lower calories. That gesture, as much as anything else, made Kanae relax. Perfecting recipes took time, and obviously Kyoko had wanted to make up enough that she was willing to take the time. Kanae also suspected that Tsuruga Ren had been forced to do the taste testing, and since Kanae knew from Kyoko that he was not a fan of sweets, the cold-hearted actress felt a bit of vindictive pleasure.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Kyoko asked as Kanae moved to get cups to serve tea to drink while they ate the cakes. Kanae shook her head.

"I can play hostess just as well as you can. Sit down and tell me about this date that got cancelled. I didn't listen to your whole message about it." This was a lie. But since Kanae had not answered any of Kyoko's calls in response to the abrupt announcement of Kyoko dating that Tsuruga guy, she did not want to admit she had listened to Kyoko's messages repeatedly searching for hidden messages.

"We were going to head out for dinner. He didn't tell me where we're going because he doesn't want the president to hear about it and cause a riot. We haven't gone out on a formal date yet since it hasn't even been a week since we got together. But Ren said we could celebrate New Year's together instead and that I should come and see you."

"You're staying at his place for New Year's?" Kanae asked in a mortified tone. Kyoko sighed.

"Yashiro-san made a very strange sound when Ren mentioned it, but I don't think he meant anything special by it. I'm…" she blushed, " _aware_ that he notices me. But he's also a good man, and we talked about what we wanted our relationship to be like when it started. We agreed that if I ever end up spending the night for any reason, I'm staying in the guest room."

"Is there any way that I can express how bewildering I find it that you are comfortable staying overnight in a man's house?" Kanae asked, poking at her cake and staring at her friend. "You're the most traditional girl I know. I bet you'd have a heart attack if he so much as walked out without his shirt on-" She stopped seeing Kyoko's face color. "What happened?"

"It wasn't a big deal," Kyoko mumbled. "We were just… working together on something and… there was a little awkward… but nothing happened…" Her face grew redder with every word.

"What kind of jobs have you been working with this guy?" Kanae growled, jabbing her fork at Kyoko.

"Well," she admitted, "the very first time I stayed over at his house was back when I was just starting acting. I was his temporary manager and he got sick. He was running a very high fever and was delirious. After that, there were some times with _Dark Moon_ and he helped me with _Box R_ once and I stayed over those times. I've been to his apartment to cook since then. Not since we started dating, but he's been on his best behavior all those other times."

"You honestly trust him to keep his hands off you for an entire night now that you are actually dating? Didn't we establish that he was a hopeless playboy?"

Kyoko shifted nervously. "I don't think he would try anything. It's not like I would have any idea, any clue-"

"How to tell him no," Kanae suggested blandly. Kyoko shook her head.

"How to… appeal to him. You say it all the time. I'm just a housewife character."

"And housewives are generally happily married women who are much loved and admired by their husbands," her best friend pointed out. "Strictly speaking, he might find that kind of behavior the most attractive thing about you."

"But… he said…"

"Look," Kanae sighed, "if he promised to keep his hands to himself you're going to have to trust him. I'm just saying, it's not what I expected from you."

"It's not what I expected from me either," Kyoko admitted. "But I didn't expect that we would be together at all. I don't know what will happen from here on out."

"So, how did he confess?" Kanae asked, willing to steer the conversation another direction. Kyoko's face had become very serious. Now she blushed.

"He… admitted that we were childhood friends," Kyoko said slowly, not meeting Kanae's eyes. Kanae frowned.

"He what?"

"It was a long time ago back in Kyoto and we only knew each other for a little while, and I thought he was a fairy." Kanae burst out laughing.

"You what?" she gasped between chuckles. Kyoko shifted uncomfortably.

"I thought he was fairy prince. He… dressed up and met me in the place where we used to play together. It was his Christmas present for me."

"Sounds corny." Kyoko giggled.

"You have no idea."

"So he was there in a flowing cape with little wings?"

"No," Kyoko admitted. "It was a pretty simple costume. He won't tell me how much it cost and I can't figure out if that's because it was so cheap he was embarrassed, or because he was ridiculously overcharged by some specialty story that likes to take advantage of people in a hurry and he was embarrassed. I don't think he was planning on doing it when we first came out, but I ended up going to see the Fuwas and he kept urging me to go and visit the spot. He still won't tell me when he bought the costume and I can't figure out when he would have gotten the time."

"Was it worth it?" Kanae asked around a bite of cake.

"Yes," Kyoko answered calmly. "Even if he hadn't ended up confessing to me, I think it would have been the best Christmas I've ever had. And then the Hizuris came too. That was fun."

"Did you like the wife?" Kanae asked, watching Kyoko carefully. "Your message sounded good, but earlier this year you were talking about your mother leaving you and how that hurt you. Are you going to be alright?"

"It was hard," Kyoko confessed. "Especially at first. Things were… awkward. And unexpected." She smiled a secret smile at that, but Kanae did not press. She had a feeling she would not be getting any good answers. "Even at the end, after we had spent some time together and laughed a lot, it was hard watching them leave. I still haven't gotten used to the image of people walking away from me."

"Did you tell them?"

"No. Ren knew. He suggested that I try calling them or emailing when we got back. I sent them a letter instead, since I didn't know what to say if I called and I don't have their phone number. I'm hoping that they'll write back."

"You're a really fortunate person," Kanae commented. "You have talent and patience, and lots of people around you that really love you."

"I'm starting to see that," Kyoko confessed. She looked up shyly. "I'm really glad that you're my friend, Kanae. I don't think I would have made it so far without you."

Kanae found herself blinking back unexpected tears. "Stupid. That's what best friends are for." She leaned over and gave Kyoko a hug, hoping that she could live this down. Sentimental was just not her style.

* * *

Kyoko was nervous. Kuon could see that at a glance. She had cordoned herself off in the kitchen and had expressly forbid him from entering. That in and of itself was not unusual. She knew what happened when he was in a kitchen and touched the food before it was ready. But her behavior from the moment he opened the door and welcomed her into the apartment was skittish.

And he had a pretty good idea of what was wrong. If the oversized, unfashionable sweater and long skirt had not been suspicious, the fact that she would not stand within two feet of him was something of a dead giveaway. That and her questioning if he thought it would be safe to drive her home at midnight. If it had not been such a smirch on his honor, he would have found it cute.

"Kyoko," he called out from the living room, "how do you feel about eating by candlelight?"

"Dangerous!" came her clipped answer over the crash of a pan. "Something… might catch fire."

"If you think so," he answered, shaking his head. Teasing her was still just a little too fun. "Are you sure there's nothing that I can help with?"

"Um, setting the table. The dishes are a little high…"

"Alright," he answered, coming into the kitchen and watching her jump slightly. "What will we need?"

She gave him some mumbled instructions and proceeded to fuss over some pots, stirring, tossing, and checking the oven. Kuon repressed a chuckled and grabbed the requested dishes, setting places at the coffee table right next to each other. He was interested to see how she was going to make excuses to get out of that one.

"Dinner's ready," she called, appearing in the doorway with a couple of platters. Kuon moved to take them from her, scolding her for carrying such heavy dishes and smiling when she blushed at the brush of their hands.

"What is New Year's like in America?" Kyoko asked as they began eating. She had blanched at the place settings, but one look at his hopeful face had quashed any attempt to complain. "Otou-san said that it was rather 'explosive' but didn't really elaborate."

"Explosive is a good word," Kuon mused around a bite of food. "Poppers, fireworks, drinking parties with loud music. All the car accidents that happen late that night because of the drinking parties. There's plenty of fun you can have if you play it safe, and we mostly celebrated at home. There were celebrity parties that were hosted, but Dad and Mom tried to take the time off so that we could be together. We went out once or twice, but I never really enjoyed the parties. That whole drinking thing."

"It sounds interesting," Kyoko giggled.

"It can be," Kuon confessed. "Although I think I prefer the celebrations out here more. After midnight of the first, most of the celebrating is done in the States. Out here, there's still visits and emphasis on all of the firsts of the year. It feels more like a new beginning."

"I guess," Kyoko agreed. "I haven't really thought about it before."

"I'm looking forward to this year," Kuon told her. "It will be my first New Year since I left home that I won't be alone."

He knew he had chosen the right words and the right tone when she relaxed completely, smiling at him. He knew it had been something of a risk to invite her over for the night. He was still unsure of his own self-control as it related to their new relationship. But that had not stopped him from inviting Kyoko over. He wanted to be close to her, and trusted himself enough to at least try. Besides, there was a sentimental part of him that wanted to greet the new year with her. He felt like it would be the best way to start the year.

"So, what should we do now?" he asked as they finished up their food. "I'm not as familiar with Japanese traditions for this time of year. Is there anything special you usually do while waiting for the sunrise?" He watched her tense and relax again. Did she really expect something to happen? She had told him that she had made up with her friend. Had Kotonami-san said something?

"There are things we could do," Kyoko answered. "But they would probably be more fun with a large group. It might have been smarter if we had taken the president's invitation. He isn't family exactly, but I'm sure we wouldn't have been bored."

"I stand by my refusal," Kuon said adamantly. "He would have been making indecent comments till the sun came up, if he wasn't trying to push us into a secluded corner or lock us in a room. Personally, I prefer the safety of not having him meddling."

"Oh," Kyoko said, bright spots on her cheeks. "Yes. That would have been… hard." He collected plates and helped her carry them to the kitchen.

"Kyoko, I love spending time with you. I don't love the people around us meddling in our relationship. We've made a decision about how we want this relationship to develop, and I'm comfortable with that. You're comfortable with that. We don't need anything else right now, right?" She smiled brightly.

"Yes." He reached out and took her hands.

"Then, what should we do now?" he asked. She glanced behind him and smiled sheepishly.

"The dishes?" He laughed.

"Dishes it is."

"Does Otou-san ever do the dishes with Juliena-sama?" Kyoko asked as Kuon put the last plate away. Kuon rolled his eyes at Kyoko's pet name for his mother. Juliena was still waiting for Kyoko to address her as Okaa-san, but Kyoko was far too enamored with the idea of Juliena as the Queen of Fairies to let herself address the woman so informally. Kuon had pulled his mother aside and given her a brief explanation of where Kyoko's exaggerated formality might have come from, and she chose to be amused by it for now. But it made Kuon chuckle every time Kyoko said it.

"Why don't you ask him? I'm sure he'd love to tell you all about him and Mom."

"Well, I don't know when I'll hear from him again," she told him, pleating her fingers nervously. Kuon stared at her.

"You could call him," He suggested as casually as he could. "He'd love to hear from you. He's been asking about you every night."

"You've been talking to him?" she asked in awe. "He must be so pleased!"

"He's been waiting to hear from you since he left. Why haven't _you_ called?"

"I wrote to them," Kyoko told him defensively. "But I don't have their number. No one gave it to me." Kuon blinked.

"Time to fix that," he announced, taking her hand and pulling her back to the living room. He left to his own room briefly and returned with an older model cell phone. Kyoko looked at it curiously. "The president had me buy this when I moved here. In case I ever wanted to call home. It's in my real name, and is strictly for making international calls. My parent's number is programmed in here. I'll make sure you have it before you leave."

"But I can't make an international call on my phone! The expense-"

"We'll talk to the president. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help arrange things for you. But until then you can just use my phone. Here, go ahead. Place the call."

Kyoko hesitated for a moment before she pressed the button. The phone rang five times before Kuu picked up with an anxious " ** _Kuon?_** "

"Um, no," Kyoko answered a bit worriedly. She heard a chuckle from the other end to match the one next to her and she smiled.

" _Hello Kyoko. How are you?"_

"Just fine. Kuon was surprised that I didn't have your number. He said we should call."

" _Sounds like a plan. Let me wake up Julie and we can chat._ " Kyoko paled.

"I didn't mean to wake you-"

" _Relax,_ " came the sleepy voice from the other end. " _We're on vacation. Waking up a little early isn't terrible_." Kyoko looked over at Kuon.

"What is the time difference between here and California?" she asked slowly. He shrugged.

"Seventeen hours." Kyoko did some quick mental math.

"It's two in the morning!" she gasped. Kuu came back on the line. "Otou-san, I'm so sorry-"

" _It's fine. Put the phone on speaker. Kuon's with you, right?_ "

" _Kyoko-chan?_ " Juliena asked. " _Kuu said you called_."

"Um, yes," Kyoko answered before pulling the phone away from her ear and beginning to frantically search for the button to put it on speaker. Kuon reached over and pressed it.

"Hey Mom. Dad."

" _Morning Kuon,_ " his dad said cheerfully, now perky that he was awake. " _You knew exactly what time it was when you told Kyoko to do this, didn't you?_ "

"I figured since you called me at three in the morning the other day, you wouldn't mind," he answered with a gentlemanly smile that made Kyoko shiver. "Besides, you said you wanted to talk with her."

" _Of course we do,_ " Juliena intervened. " _We're very happy that you called. How are you doing, Kyoko-chan?_ "

"Very well, Juliena-sama. Mok- Kanae-san and I aren't fighting anymore. And I got a job offer for another commercial."

"You did?" Kuon asked in surprise. "You didn't say anything."

"I didn't know if I was going to take it," Kyoko explained worriedly. "I still don't know."

" _What commercial?_ " Kuu asked. Kyoko fumbled.

"It- it's for a make-up brand," she admitted. "They liked my Christmas commercial and wanted me to advertise for some of their products."

" _Sounds like it would be exciting,_ " her adoptive father answered. " _Have you had any other drama offers?_ "

" _What about modeling?_ " Juliena asked.

"Not modeling," Kyoko protested. "I don't have any skills in that and no one would ask me. But Sawara-san said that I have some offers to look at when I get back to the office on Monday."

" _Will you call us when you get the offers?_ " Kuu asked. " _Will you tell us what you're considering?_ "

"Will you tell me?" Kuon grumbled, pouting. Kyoko panicked.

"I didn't mean to keep it a secret! I just didn't know what to say! And you were at work and I didn't want to bother you and I was afraid you were busy and I meant to tell you earlier but we were talking and I got distracted and it's not like I'm going to be doing anything strange and I didn't mean to keep it a secret and-"

Kuon cut her off with a finger on her mouth. Kuu and Juliena chuckled. "Kyoko, I'm not angry. I was just surprised. Calm down."

"Sorry," she whispered, embarrassed.

" _Should we call back later?_ " Kuu asked. " _Do you two need some time alone?_ "

"No," Kuon answered with a roll of his eyes. "Kyoko is fine now. Why don't you tell us what your plans are for today?"

They chatted for several hours, Juliena gently constraining her husband from pestering their children about long term issues like marriage and children. By the end of their conversation Kyoko had relaxed and was laughing happily.

"We have to go," Kuon said ruefully. "It's getting late and you need to try and get some sleep if you can. Sounds like you're going to have a busy day. We'll get in touch later this week."

" _Goodnight, Kuon. Give Kyoko a kiss for us,_ " Juliena ordered, causing Kyoko's eyes to widen in fear. " _Tell Lory that we said hi._ "

"Will do, Mom. Keep Dad out of trouble and take care."

" _When are you coming to see us?_ " Kuu demanded suddenly.

"When Kuon learns to cook," Kyoko answered promptly. Her boyfriend gave her a horrified look and there was silence on the other end of the phone. "What? You said you couldn't go back until you had surpassed your father. How can you show your face back at home with your cooking skills?"

There was an explosion of laughter from Kuu and Juliena. Kuon tugged Kyoko's ear, his smile ruefully admitting a hit. Apparently she was learning how to tease him. Things might get interesting.

"Well Dad, it looks like if I never make it home, Mom can blame it all on you," he shrugged, cutting off the laughter and earning a pout from his father.

" _But Kuon, how could you never learn how to cook? Aren't you my brilliant, shining, spectacular-_ " Juliena interrupted.

" _Kuon, if you don't learn to cook in the next twelve hours, I'm going to drop dead. You are not allowed to abandon me because of your lack of culinary skills._ "

"I'll do my best, Mom," he promised. "Kyoko will teach me as best as she can."

"As long as I don't have to take care of the cleanup," she agreed cheerfully, earning another laugh from his parents. Kuon pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her head.

"Deal. But let's make sure the fire department is on speed dial before we start, along with the nearest hospital. In case of food poisoning." Kyoko shivered.

"Juliena-sama, you might drop dead if he doesn't learn how to cook, but one of us might die if he tries."

" _I'm sure you can protect him from the worst of his mistakes,_ " Juliena assured Kyoko. " _Take care of him for us, won't you?_ "

"Yes!"

" _And take care of yourself,_ " Kuu added. " _We love you both._ "

"Love you too Dad. Mom."

"I love you both too," Kyoko added softly. Kuon brushed a stray tear from the corner of her eye. "I hope we can talk again soon."

" _At a time good for both of us,_ " Kuu agreed. " _Goodnight, you two. Don't stay up too late._ "

" _And behave, Kuon,_ " his mother added in a stern tone.

"I'm on my best behavior," their son promised. "Goodbye."

There was a chorus of goodbyes on both ends. Kuon hung up and leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes and sighing. He looked down at his girlfriend and smiled. "Well, how was it?"

"I love your parents, Kuon," Kyoko smiled. "I wish we could go and see them."

"Give me some time?" he begged, suddenly anxious. "I want to see them again, but I'm not ready to leave here yet."

"And bringing them out here is dangerous," Kyoko agreed. "Don't worry. I understand. I'm fine with things the way they are."

"Are you?" he asked, still a little concerned. She smiled.

"Well, I'm not quite done having you all to myself yet," she answered coyly, then slapped a hand over her mouth, blushing in horror. Kuon smiled, pulling her close and running his hand through her hair.

"Sometimes you surprise me," he whispered, enjoying the way the color moved from her cheeks to her ears and neck. "Do you think you'll be willing to keep surprising me for a while?"

"How long?" she asked in a small voice.

"I was thinking forever, but I'm willing to set short term goals if that seems like a bit much to commit to tonight."

"A year?"

"A year," he accepted. "From this one to the next, let's see how many times that we can surprise each other."

"In only good ways?"

"In the best ways," he agreed. He was tempted to kiss her then, but knew he was pressing his limits. She had not pulled back from his hold and he contented himself with holding her and stroking her head. It was no surprise to him when she fell asleep like that, breathing softly in his arms. He used his phone to check when the sunrise was supposed to occur, set two alarms on his phone to make sure they would be awake for it, and settled back on the couch, making sure to keep one arm draped around her.

* * *

Maria watched the last of the colored sparks from the fireworks her grandfather had arranged drift to the ground and sighed for the dozenth time that evening. A shadow loomed behind her and she leaned back and looked up, smiling at the spectacle that her grandfather made dressed as Father Time and upside down.

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked, smiling broadly. She did her best to smile back.

"They were very pretty. And huge. Bigger than last year. You outdid yourself again."

"You're still upset, aren't you?"

"I'm not angry at Onee-sama," she argued. Her grandfather moved to sit next to her, easing the strain on her neck. "She told me right away when they got back and I believe her when she said she had no idea and was trying to avoid her own feelings. I thought it was sad, but I'm not angry."

"But you were serious," Lory stated calmly, not seeming to be bothered at all by the fact that he was talking about his now nine year old granddaughter being in love with a man that was almost thirteen years older than she was. "You really wanted to be the one that he chose in the end."

"I've still got time," she mumbled. "They could break up."

"Do you think that's likely?"

"No."

"So what is your resolution for this new year going to be then?" he asked. "Making the possibility of their breakup a reality?"

"No! I don't want either of them to be unhappy! And I'm not so low and dirty of a person."

"No," Lory agreed. "You aren't. You're my granddaughter. You have very high standards. Which is probably why you fell in love with Ren in the first place."

Maria nodded morosely. Then she sniffed. Then, because no one else was around and her grandfather always understood, she cried, throwing herself into his arms and simply sobbing. Because losing a first love is hard, even when- no, especially when you lose them to someone better and you know you'll never get them back.

* * *

Kyoko groaned and turned over, her hand trying to figure out where her phone was. She could hear the alarm on it going off, which was strange because she did not normally set the alarm on her phone. She had another alarm that she normally used-

Suddenly, her bed moved under her. And she realized she was not at home or actually in her bed. She froze, startled when she felt an arm tighten around her.

"Relax," Kuon said gently. "I just didn't want us to miss the sunrise. Come on. Are you alright?"

"Oh yes. I was just startled. I'm sorry."

"No. I probably should have put you in the guest room. Come on. Let's head on out."

"Where?"

"The balcony. I would suggest the roof, but when I looked into heading up there I found out that lots of people use it on New Year's. I figured we'd want to avoid a crowd."

"You have a balcony?"

"My apartment is larger than most, remember. I have that whole second floor with rooms. One of them has the entrance to my balcony."

"Is it a nice view?"

"It's nice enough. We'll get to see the sunrise at the very least. Just wait a minute while I grab a blanket. It's going to be cold out there."

"Just one blanket? Won't you be cold?" He smiled.

"Were you going to hoard it all to yourself? You won't share?" Kyoko started, then smiled shyly.

"We can share."

"Then we only need one blanket," he answered, disappearing into the back for a few minutes. He returned with the blanket and led her out onto the balcony, helping her to sit on the bench that was there. He took a seat right next to her, draping the large blanket over them both and pulling her close to him. She snuggled up and leaned on his shoulder, relaxed and content.

"You don't come out here often, do you?" she asked.

"Not really. I'm at work a lot and then when I come home it's dark. City lights are nice, but I see a lot of them. I don't feel the need to hang out here much."

"Do you prefer city lights or stars?"

"Stars. The night air smells better where you can see stars. Someday, we should go somewhere that we can see stars."

"Where?"

"I don't know. I'll have to look into that. Is there anywhere that you would like to go?"

"Corn's clearing? Do you think we could see stars from there?"

"Some, probably. More than here, certainly. There are probably places in California that are pretty incredible too. Would you like to go there?"

"When you can cook? Because we can't go to California until then."

"I'll learn to cook so well that you'll let me help with a campfire meal."

"Not on your life," she said in a stern tone. "Never, ever will I see you attempting cooking over an open fire. I don't even want to think about what might happen with you and food and an open fire."

"You don't think you can teach me to cook?"

"Show me that you can learn, and we'll revisit the issue."

"It might take a while."

"Then we'll revisit the issue in a while."

"Kyoko-"

"Sun's coming up," she said suddenly. "Look, just there."

"I see it," he answered, holding her tighter. She placed her hand over his and enjoyed the silence. The light was bright and reflected off the buildings on the Tokyo skyline, making things sparkle. She giggled.

"It's like a fairy city," she smiled up at him. He answered with a smile and a soft kiss. When he pulled away he made sure he held her attention, watching her expression carefully.

"So, how was that for the first kiss of the new year?" She smiled brightly and touched his mouth gently.

"I'm hoping it will be just as nice next year," she whispered.

"Better," Kuon promised.


End file.
